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Screen Craft Pathways: Assisting Costume, delivered in partnership with the Sean Connery Talent Lab and supported by ScreenSkills, is a practical below-the-line crew training programme designed to give new and early entrants the hands-on skills, technical understanding, and on-set insight needed to confidently step into the role of a costume trainee or junior assistant on professional productions and understand the career progression route available within the department.
Led by experienced industry professionals, the course will take you inside the world of the costume department - from preparing costumes for set and maintaining continuity, to carrying out fittings, managing costume logistics, supporting on-set changes, and caring for garments throughout production.
You’ll gain a clear understanding of each role within the department, the workflows involved, and how to be an asset on set from day one.
The course includes visits to set, giving you the opportunity to observe working crews in action and contextualise your training in the real-world environment.
With course fees subsidised by the Connery Foundation, who support the NFTS Sean Connery Talent Lab, this course also provides an opportunity to work on one of the Lab’s prestigious short films, which are funded by BBC Film and will be shooting in Central Scotland in late September and October 2026.
This is a unique opportunity to work on a high calibre production as well as enhance your network by meeting and developing relationships with the Lab’s creative teams. The films from the first Sean Connery Talent Lab premiered at Edinburgh International Film Festival and will screen on BBC iPlayer.
Whether you're starting out in the industry or looking to build on existing early entrant costume department experience, this course is built to prepare you for freelance costume department work on narrative film and television drama.
The course will be led by an experienced costume designer, with industry guests from across the costume department, with industry partners supporting delivery and set visits.
The course will be delivered at both Edinburgh and Glasgow venues, with travel to sets within Central Scotland also required (details of these will be available nearer the time).
Following the three week training course, you should also be available for the shoot (four days) of one of the Sean Connery Talent Lab films, which shoot at various locations in the Central Belt of Scotland between the 28th September and 6th November 2026 (with expenses paid).
The course will cover:
Introduction to the Costume Department
Costume Department Equipment & Kit Orientation
The Costume Trainee Role
Costume Continuity & Script Breakdown
Working with the Costume Team
Costume Preparation, Fittings & Alterations
On-Set Workflow & Quick Changes
Costume Care, Maintenance & Laundry
Industry Standards & Department Paperwork
Career Preparation and Feedback
You should have some experience of working within the costume department and know that developing your skills and progressing within this department is the right route for you.
This experience may have been gained as an undergraduate student, or industry training programme, working on short films, or you may already have some initial industry experience in feature film and HETV as a trainee.
This programme is also available as a progression pathway from our Early Entrant Pathways: Working in the Costume Department course which takes place on 14th and 15th September. If you wish to undertake both programmes, please apply here.
Otherwise please follow the guidance in HOW TO APPLY on this page.
To apply, please complete the application form and submit your CV to scotland@nfts.co.uk